Chicken Pox

[wilbertjellyfish]

Hi all.

Was planning to write an update for a while however wasn't expecting to write this.

My 15 yo son has chicken pox, all over his body. I was sure he'd had it as a baby, although he was only three weeks old when he got it from his sister. However, he is covered in spots now.

I'm worried because I'm on all my meds ( pred, mtx, toziludimab). Anyone have any advice. I've emailed the nurses but obviously it's the weekend.

Thanks

[medway-lady]

I’m sorry to read this but don’t know what you can do. So I hope your RA team get back soon. I’m sure you can’t catch Shingles from Chickenpox though. Xx

[sylvi]

Ring 111 and ask their advice i am sure they will help you darling. I hope your son soon recovers.xxx

[KittyJ]

this is from NRAS website, so I’d give your GP a call.

Anyone taking methotrexate who comes into contact with chickenpox – and this means being in the same room as someone with chickenpox for 5 minutes or more – should seek advice. This is because they may require an injection of VZIG (Varicella-Zoster Immune Globulin) for protection which is their doctor’s assessment and decision

[Cat-E]

My grandsons had chickenpox at Christmas and my nurse told me there was no problem with me having contact with them. I think most adults have immunity if you have had it and have kids that have had it. Hopefully you'll get an answer today.

[AgedCrone]

I think you should contact your GP as I seem to remember when I was on .Mtx being told if I came in contact with chickenpox I should get some sort of injection.

This below is from arthritis.org

“Older adults with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) have a higher risk than those without the disease of developing shingles, a virus related to chickenpox that causes pain and a blistering rash.

Most adults have been exposed to varicella zoster virus, which causes chickenpox. This virus is never completely cleared from our bodies, but lies quietly in spinal nerve cells. If it’s reactivated, it causes shingles, explains Jeffrey Curtis, MD, a rheumatologist and epidemiologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The reactivated virus is called herpes zoster or shingles.”

[Doodlereggie]

hi

As others have said I would get advice from gp or rheumy asap.I have ra and on JAK meds which name reactivation of shingles virus as a poss side effect.Although I have had shingles jab,I recently have had a nasty bout of shingles,which I am just getting over.Dont know how I got it but it was not nice!If you do get any symptoms get anti viral tablets within first few days as this does help a lot with severity and length of time.Dont mean to be negative but just be proactive if you get rash and it will help a lot.x

[wilbertjellyfish]

Thanks everyone, rheumy nurse says...no biologic, wash your hands and look out for spots. I've had shingles, years ago when pregnant was awful but poor child has taken to bed so avoiding him is easy enough. Thankfully today the spots appear to be crusting over, according to hubby.